House Commission V: Transport Discounts Can Drive Economic Movement of MSMEs

The transport fare discount programme, part of the government’s economic stimulus package, is seen as a driver for people’s economy, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). Deputy Speaker of House Commission V Andi Iwan Darmawan Aras stated in Jakarta on Thursday that this policy reflects the government’s effort to maintain household consumption as one of the main pillars of national economic growth. He explained that transport mobility has a much broader economic impact than simply moving people from one region to another. Therefore, he views the effectiveness of the transport discount programme as needing to be measured by how much it benefits the wider community and encourages regional economic activity. He also said this momentum should be used to evaluate national logistics and transport costs so that the efficiency created is not temporary during the stimulus period but can continue as a sustainable improvement in connectivity.